No Cooperation from the Cat

The main character of No Cooperation from the Cat (#199) by Marian Babson describes the experience of reading this book perfectly when she discusses the old-fashioned movie theater.  You used to pay your admission, and walk in any time on the continuously playing feature film, short subjects, newsreel and second feature.  If you happened to walk in on the middle of the movie, you saw the ending, but had no idea of what led up to it until you sat through the entire cycle and saw the beginning of that film.  If you haven't read Ms. Babson's previous book(s)? featuring Trixie and Evangeline, don't expect a back story explaining who any of the recurring characters are, or their relationships.  The book is never going to go back to the beginning to fill you in.  If you can get over the frustration of not knowing and can roll with the story, you'll probably enjoy the wacky ride. 

Trixie and Evangeline are caught up in a publishing feud when their London penthouse apartment is taken over as a test kitchen for a cookbook that Trixie's daughter Martha (and that part took me half the book to figure out, so consider that a bonus!) is organizing around the Ladies Lemmings' recipes.  When an Arctic explorer shows up on their doorstep, demanding to see his wife, Martha's aid Jocasta, from the publishing company, begins to unravel.  It seems that Melisande, the explorer's wife was the original chef chosen for the cookbook project.  Only she's dead from a cooking misadventure, and Jocasta has never quite gotten around to telling him.  When Banquo's three aunts and the other two members of his Arctic expedition crew show up uninvited at their doorstep demanding Jocasta's help with Banquo's book, things go from bad to worse, especially when they let in Teddy, failed actor and former owner of Trixie's beloved Japanese bob-tail cat, Cho-Cho-San.  It seems he has designs on getting Cho-Cho back! Things are bound to get nasty...

A bit of fluff, but that's what nice about the summer; no heavy lifting required.  Just lay back in your hammock and enjoy.